As surrounded by technology as most of us are, it can be hard to believe that there are still homes that operate with a fuse box rather than an electrical panel. If you are a homeowner with an older home that still has a fuse box instead of circuit breakers, it is definitely worth your while to consider upgrading to an updated electrical panel for a few reasons. The main question we get is, is it necessary? Technically, no, it isn’t, but there are several factors that will make clear it’s in the best interest of you and your home to do so.
Reasons to Upgrade
- Today’s households use a lot more electricity – when fuse boxes were installed, the average home use amperage was around 100; today’s homes use an average of 200 amps. Simply put: fuse boxes were not made to handle the average load of electrical use of today. What does this mean for you? A lot of blown fuses and the continual frustration of not having enough electricity to power all the appliances you need at once.
- You may be penalized by your insurance company – fuse boxes are far less safe than electrical panels with circuit breakers because fuses do not have the safety mechanism that breakers do; this means a fuse box is more prone to potential fire, something your insurance company knows, too. As such, you may be paying more for house insurance by keeping that fuse box.
- You are expanding your home – it is virtually impossible to expand your home with an additional or remodel without upgrading your electrical system. Why? Fuse boxes rarely have the ability to expand, and even if yours does, it will likely not be able to handle the new load of electricity.
If it’s time to update your old fuse box to an electrical panel, it’s imperative to hire a licensed electrician. The electrical experts at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc., can help you with all your electrical needs in Bandera, TX, so give us a call today!
